General Info

The Jungle Lands of Malatra lie in the far south of Kara-Tur, beyond the trade routes of Durpar and Estagund, where civilisation gives way to steaming wilderness and ancient mystery. A vast expanse of tangled rainforest, volcanic mountains, and forgotten ruins, Malatra is a realm where nature reigns supreme and the spirits of the land are as real as the beasts that stalk it.

Few outsiders have ventured far into its depths and returned to tell the tale. Those who do speak of colossal serpents, jungle-draped ziggurats, and tribes who live in harmony — or in fear — of the primal gods. The locals simply call it the Living Land, for here the jungle itself seems alive, ever-shifting, and always hungry.

Geography

Malatra occupies a broad swath of the southern continent of Kara-Tur, bordered by the Great Sea to the south and the mountains of Tabot and Khitai to the north. The region is dominated by thick rainforest, sweltering heat, and torrential monsoons. Canopy trees tower hundreds of feet high, creating a world of perpetual twilight beneath their leaves.

Countless rivers carve through the jungle, feeding into hidden lagoons and deltas that empty into the southern ocean. Ancient ruins of pre-human civilisations crumble in the undergrowth, guarded by beasts, undead, and guardian spirits.

Notable Regions

• The Central Canopy – The densest and most uncharted region of Malatra, filled with titanic trees, primeval beasts, and long-lost temples swallowed by vines.
• The Kuong Basin – A fertile floodplain where the Kuong Kingdom thrives, its cities veiled in mist and ruled by divine monarchs said to speak with spirits.
• The Obsidian Peaks – Volcanic mountains along the western rim, home to fire-worshipping cults and ancient draconic lairs.
• The River of Spears – A mighty river that divides warring tribal lands; its name comes from the countless battles fought along its banks.
• The Shrouded Coast – A treacherous coastal jungle haunted by pirates, yuan-ti enclaves, and the ruins of serpent empires.
• The Malatran Plateau – An elevated rainforest home to isolated highland tribes and strange flora unseen elsewhere in Toril.

Geographical Features

• The Emerald Sea – A dense inland swamp whose phosphorescent algae glows faintly at night, said to be cursed by the spirits of drowned cities.
• The Temple of Fangs – A ruined step-pyramid overtaken by jungle vines and monstrous serpents; believed to be a relic of a yuan-ti empire.
• The Howling Falls – A massive waterfall whose mist forms eerie shapes; locals claim it is the voice of an imprisoned spirit.
• The Ironwood Expanse – Forests of nearly unbreakable trees, prized for their strength and used by tribal smiths to craft weapons harder than steel.
• The Sunken City of N’gala – Submerged ruins visible only during the dry season; strange lights are seen beneath its waters on moonless nights.

Major Cities and Settlements

Civilisation in Malatra is scarce and fragmented, often built around river trade or ancient sacred sites. Most inhabitants live in tribal villages, though a few great cities have endured for centuries.

• Kuo T’lan — The capital of the Kuong Kingdom, a city of canals and hanging gardens, where priests and shamans rule beside the god-king.
• Shalanka — A coastal city built upon the ruins of a serpent-folk fortress; known for trade in spices, rare herbs, and relics of the jungle.
• Tarango — A fortified settlement on the River of Spears; home to warriors, mercenaries, and hunters who brave the wild interior.
• N’borah — A sacred city deep in the canopy, accessible only by those who earn the jungle’s blessing; its people are said to guard an ancient world-tree.
• Tashka — A frontier port where foreign traders, pirates, and explorers gather before daring the Malatran interior.

Common Races of Malatra

The inhabitants of Malatra are as varied as the jungle itself. Tribal humans dominate the region, but other races — both mortal and monstrous — claim dominion in their hidden corners.

Other beings — including grungs, arakocra, beastfolk, and even intelligent plants — play vital roles in the region’s tangled ecology and politics.

Culture and Politics

Malatra is a tapestry of independent tribes, priesthoods, and nature cults. While most of its people live without written law, they adhere to strict codes of honour and balance with the land. Spirits are revered as divine intermediaries, and many rulers claim to descend from animals or gods.

Major Powers

• The Kuong Kingdom – The largest and most organised power in Malatra, ruled by the Jade Throne under divine mandate.
• The Serpentblood Clans – Yuan-ti remnants seeking to restore their empire beneath the jungle’s surface.
• The Spirit Courts – A loose confederation of shamans and druids who mediate between mortal tribes and the jungle spirits.
• The Brotherhood of the Fang – A secretive cult of assassins and priests devoted to ancient serpent gods.
• The Emerald Trade Consortium – Merchant princes from Durpar and Estagund who maintain tenuous trade posts along the Shrouded Coast.

History

The Dawn Ages

Before mortal civilisation, Malatra was a land of titanic beasts and serpent-kings. Yuan-ti empires ruled from cyclopean ziggurats, worshipping dark gods of blood and scale. When their gods fell silent, their temples sank into the jungle, and nature reclaimed all.

Age of Kingdoms

Human settlers from the north founded the Kuong Kingdom, uniting dozens of tribes under a divine monarch. This golden age saw the rise of vast temple-cities, mastery of herbal alchemy, and the codification of spirit worship. Trade with Kara-Tur and Zakhara briefly flourished before isolation returned.

Recent Centuries

The jungles have reclaimed much of Malatra’s former glory, yet the Kuong Kingdom endures. Expeditions from Shou Lung, Durpar, and Faerûn have attempted to chart and exploit the region, often meeting ruin.

• The Coming of the Spirit Plague (1380s DR) – A wave of madness spread through the jungle as ancient spirits awoke; entire tribes vanished overnight.
• The Sundering (1480s DR) – Shifts in the Weave brought new islands to Malatra’s coast and reawakened the serpent ruins.
• The Time of Returning (1500s DR) – Recently, divine signs and omens suggest the old serpent gods are stirring once more, while explorers whisper of new civilisations emerging deep within the canopy.

In the current age — around 1508 DR — Malatra remains one of Toril’s last great wildernesses: a land of danger, discovery, and divine mystery where few outsiders tread and fewer return.

Hubs

Points of Interest

Groups

Quests